The Love Potion
by bluetreeleaves
Summary: AU Complete *Reposted* "Hello, someone told me you might be in here. Are you the one to come for readings and stuff?" a smooth voice broke through her silent study and vibrated strangely in her ears. She raised her head slowly and met the most beautiful mahogany eyes she'd ever seen...


**Well, I decided spur of the moment to repost this little (not really ****_little)_**** one-shot that I wrote several years ago. I was thinking of using this as a beginning for actually publishing something in the real world and getting my name out there, but I decided against that. I have other stories I've been working on that coincide with this one and it will probably take a while before that comes to fruition. So, without further hesitation, I re-give to you The Love Potion - with a prologue, slightly altered scenes, and a ton of fluffiness to cuddle with. A good friend of mine - who is having a bit of a rough time - once told me this was her most favorite story ever. Here's to you, dearest friend. :)**

**I've also been working on a two-part mini story that will hopefully be out this week or the next one. It's really exciting and kind of has a Energy-Heart feel to it. It's a lot more faster paced than EH. My other chapter for Rutilus will hopefully be out the following week after the two-part one-shot thing I'm cooking up. **

**Have fun with this one. :) I definitely did. Twice.**

* * *

Prologue – First Year - February

Van twitched like small child and shifted uncomfortably on the cold bleachers as his bright mahogany eyes filled themselves with Selena's athletic form. She stretched a leg to her chin and he marveled in her flexibility. The chilled February wind rushed through the sports field and he watched her blond hair escape slightly from her elegant bun and blow softly in the breeze.

He settled further in his windbreaker jacket, thankful that on the opposite side of the green field to the right, the track and field teams were holding their tryout. There were plenty of people in the stands watching. He had tried to pick the most inconspicuous spot on the bleachers. Fortunately, the combination of hiding and good camouflaging had done their jobs.

Familiar laughter caught his ears and he ducked his dark head further, letting his long bangs cover his eyes. Several of his fencing partners appeared on the pathway towards the small gym to his left. Though they probably wouldn't notice him, there was always the probability that his luck would run out. Faking a headache just to watch the cheerleader tryout was embarrassing enough without getting caught by half his teammates. Van couldn't help himself though. Ever since he'd seen her during his first day at Fanelia Private High last August, he'd had his eyes only on her. She was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen.

Not that he actually talked to Selena before. But he was certain that when the cosmic event took place, he'd fine that inner strength lying dormant within him and muster the courage to ask her out.

He was so glued to the stretching blond, he hardly noticed two girls – one with long, messy, brown hair and the other a short boyish cut- sit down right in front of him. Despite their hushed voices, a bit of their conversation floated to his ears. He frowned, almost wanting to hush their quiet exchange.

"This is a bad idea. I wish I'd never asked for it. This is too dangerous."

"We can't do anything about that. It has to be completed. I told you those are the rules."

"Are you sure Gadeth and Dryden can handle this?"

"They always find a way. I trust them."

"Well, I don't. Besides, Gadeth is insane."

"Gadeth is my cousin who willfully agreed to help you. Just let them work. They've grown up with stuff like this."

"But he was saying something about sneaking past the FFA…"

"Then they have good reason to."

"I have a feeling they are going to hurt someone and it's going to be my fault for wanting this stupid thing in the first place!"

"I won't let anyone get hurt."

The girls fell silent and were obviously watching for something. Van rolled his eyes with irritation, grateful their conversation was over for the time being. He had just gotten back to studying Selena performing a series of cartwheels when a shrill cry sounded from the right side of the track and field. Van immediately jumped up from his cold seat as did the two girls. A black blur raced forward, snorting ferociously and tossing his huge head.

It was a bison. Running rampant on the field.

Well, that's… weird.

The cheer squad screamed and ran for the stands.

"Oh, no!" He heard the short-haired girl gasped.

"A bison?" Her friend shouted.

"That's the mascot!" Van answered her, his mahogany eyes trained on Selena's retreating form. He watched her run off the field and onto a section of bleachers next to his. Both girls glanced back at him in surprise as if they finally noticed him. More screams erupted as the bison stampeded his way closer to the track team.

"This is not good!" The brown-head squealed. "Amano is down there!"

"So are Gadeth and Dryden! This was their _plan_? You were right, Yukari, they are insane!" The other girl groaned in exasperation. Turning to her friend, she said, "Stay here. I'll calm it down, okay?"

"This is a stampeding _bison_, Hitomi! And a crazy one at that! Are you mad?"

"You forget who I am." She let a small smile fall on her lips and Van's mahogany eyes immediately left Selena to watch the strange girl. He gasped in surprise as the air around her became a hazy fog. It practically glittered off of her in slow waves. She swiftly turned and ran down the metallic steps towards the field. Van's thoughts became jumbled.

_Why would air sparkle? That doesn't make sense. Must be the sun setting or something…_

Many students were passing her trying to escape for higher ground. All of them stopped in their tracks to watch the glowing girl hurry by. A feeling of tranquil serenity washed over him and a hazy, warm fog slowly enveloped his mind. Even the chilling wind grew as light as a summer breeze. All at once, the frightened screams of the panicking students ceased.

Everyone was caught in the hazy fog. All eyes were on her.

The animal began snorting and lowered his small horned head in challenge as she approached closer. Van watched the girl slow into a graceful walk. The beast gave a loud rumbling noise and dragged his front hoof into the dirt. He was ready to gore her with his horns. Through his blurred mind, Van felt a shiver of tense fear run through him. He hardly heard her friend in front of him let out a frightened squeak.

She continued to smoothly step towards the beast. She almost seemed to glide over the fake turf.

And then the most peculiar thing happened. The bison raised his thick neck, gave a loud exhaling breath, and approached her with clamping hoofs. She raised both arms and he moved his large, shaggy head to her. Rubbing the bison's furry cheeks with both hands, she smiled brightly and the beast let out a loud MWAAAAA sound. Scratching under the bison's chin, the mascot's lips began to flop, and his large eyes closed lazily. The girl giggled lightly and gave out a surprise shout as the bison lifted his snout and licked her face.

Several of the FFA members, with their faces a bit dreamy, moved in with a rope and approached the obedient beast. She nodded and took several steps back. The bison moved to follow her, but she held up a hand and he immediately stopped. She waited for the rope to be securely fastened around the animal's neck before she turned around to walk away. The animal let out a mournful low bleating sound, but dutifully trailed behind the FFA members that were carting him back to his small pasture.

The entire stadium was silent as the girl sheepishly walked off the field. It was as if all the students watching were as entranced as the bull, Van included.

Mahogany eyes still unable to look away, Van tapped her friend on the shoulder with a heavy hand. The girl turned around and her eyebrows rose quizzically.

"Who is she?" His mouth was having problems forming the words right. Her friend snorted a laugh and snapped her fingers in front of Van's face. He blinked and his fuzzy vision focused on the brown-haired girl in front of him.

"Her name is Hitomi Kanzaki. Don't worry about trying to remember what just happened. She'll make you forget it anyway."

Van's dark eyebrows rose slightly. His mind cleared a little more. "Forget? How in the world would I forget something like this? She single-handedly calmed down a raging bison."

Her friend shot him a furtive smirk. Van's peripheral vision caught a bright boy with blue hair racing up the steps towards them. The ebony-haired boy blinked slightly to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

The boy had a strange, insane look in his dark eyes.

"We got the print, nails, and hair! Let's go!"

"You set the mascot free, Gadeth!"

The boy clicked his tongue. "And it worked, didn't it?"

Without saying another word, the blue boy grabbed the girl's hand and together they marched off the bleachers. Van was tempted to chase after her, but the cheerleaders were jumping back on the field. His mahogany eyes flipped around the green field for a glimpse of the missing short-haired girl.

They had disappeared.

Selena was beginning her tryout and Van immediately sat down to watch her.

* * *

Monday – Second Year – February

Hitomi Kanzaki yawned into her palm as she quietly leafed through a tattered chemistry textbook. Balancing her elbow on her school desk, she let her free hand reach down from her chin to delicately finger a fragile, pink necklace absentmindedly. A light wind whistled from the open window next to her and brushed her short hair; slightly disturbing the soft strands around her face. The peace of the empty biology classroom was the most quiet she had seen this entire Monday.

And was probably going to be the most quiet she would get all month.

For this was the month – yes, this particular month - where all those wishing to find love would undoubtedly come to her. Sure, her family was known for their fortune-telling, magic spells, and alchemic potions, but this hardly meant _she _was an expert on love. And sure, her predictions with tarot cards were top-notch and her chemical equations flawless – but still, she didn't want to live her life in fear of the month of February.

It was the same every single year since she had started school. Her fellow classmates stormed her desk during lunch time with questions of confessions, followed her home in chattering crowds, and there was even an incident where one girl had snuck into her room during the night for a palm reading.

That was why her opinion of the holiday was ruined. Her power made her resent a time of celebration for love and blooming young passions. Personally, it made her sick to think of all the lovey-dovey ridiculousness that spewed from the hallways of her high school during this time of year. Girls making chocolates for their crushes, getting rudely turned down by them, crying all over the school over the stupid idiots that didn't deserve them in the first place… it was always the same.

Men in this school… why even bother with the dirt-bags?

Hitomi hardly had to use the tarot cards anymore. She found that just by looking in the girl's eyes, she could see the faint spark of rejection that was lingering over her future. Perhaps it was the constant heartbreak she witnessed daily that made her extra sensitive to their pre-coming blight. Or, perhaps it was because her best friend, Yukari, was one of the worst ones in the bunch.

Yukari had actually gotten a homemade love potion out of Hitomi last year and stupidly gave it to the school's Mr. Big Shot track-star, Amano Susumu. The potency of the potion should have worked perfectly on his attraction for her pheromones; nonetheless, the simpleton she called a friend had used coco lax for her chocolates instead of just regular coco.

Yukari had Amano basically crapping out his love for her.

Humorous as the situation was, Hitomi knew she couldn't laugh at her friend's utter lack of luck. Consoling Yukari's tear-stained face; Hitomi reassured her that the fact that he had accepted her Valentine chocolates should be a good enough sign for her.

Hitomi was just glad that he probably would never find out that it was her friend had given him explosive diarrhea for four days straight and made him miss the track and field pre-competitions.

Yep, the pursuit of love was just not worth it. A fickle road filled with misfortune and medical bills for antidepressants.

The Yukari/Amano incident, however, had come to haunt Hitomi like a storming cloud this year. Somehow, a rumor of the love potion had spread like wildfire to the ears of every girl in school. Even some of the boys had come to her between classes.

She had only one option: to run away from her life.

That alternative was never obtainable. Her family would find her wherever she went and bring her back.

A family knowledgeable in psychic magic sucked.

So, she was stuck in this misery; constantly surrounded by this crappiness called Valentine's Day. And the biology room suffered as her only escape from the insanity.

Except…

"Hello, someone told me you might be in here. Are you the one to come to for readings and stuff?" A smooth voice broke through her silent study and vibrated strangely in her ears. Hitomi jerked in surprise.

She hadn't even heard him come in.

She raised her head slowly and met the most fascinating pair of eyes she'd ever seen. A brilliant, mahogany… there was even a line of bright red around his pupil…

They were lovely…

Snapping herself out of their allure, she sighed and turned her gaze on her book once more.

"Readings? I don't know what you are talking about."

"I think you do." The boy contradicted, walking closer to her desk. "Look, I've got this problem and rumor has it that you might be able to help me."

"Do I look like a doctor to you?" Hitomi mumbled sarcastically without looking up.

"Just listen. I have to ask this, even if it sounds a little strange." He faltered, blushing noticeably. "Are you really a witch?"

A strangled gasp escaped her lips. The nerve of him!

Glaring her vibrant green eyes into his hopeful face, Hitomi realized she had seen this boy around school several times. Of course, his golden tan skin and longish mop of black hair screamed exotic foreigner; therefore making him a common heart-throb within the school. It also didn't help that he was considered a protégé fencer and had won almost every award available in the district. Hitomi had lost count at how many predictions she had made for girls who wished to know the affection of this particular boy.

That made him one of the dirt-bags. And he just called her a witch.

"I know who you are and I know you have no problems that concern my abilities," Hitomi said with an air of disdain. She took in his casually unbuttoned vest, rolled up sleeves, and messy black hair with resentful green eyes.

A wave of annoyance fell upon her for his lack of formal attire. This was a prestigious private school! How was he able to get away with this?

Typical dirt-bag behavior.

"Go away."

He shook his head and his black bangs fell in his beautiful eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. Not until you help me."

"I'm not going to help you with anything." Hitomi retorted sharply.

He ignored her harsh reply and took a step closer to her desk.

"So, are you a witch, then? You can cast spells?" The dirt-bag's strange eyes lit up slightly.

"I'm not going to answer you!" The short-haired girl snapped irritably at him. "Go away!"

"But I will pay you as much as you want. I will do anything. Please, I'm begging you."

Hitomi sighed. _He really just doesn't get it._

"Why would I listen to you?" She demanded fiercely. "Why would someone like you, who probably doesn't even know my name because I am so far beneath him on the social totem pole, come to _me_ for help when he could have any girl in this school?"

It was then - as those words flew out of her mouth - that something strange happened.

It was his eyes… his brilliant eyes…

A flash of a uniquely genuine wish quickly settled itself beautifully smooth inside his pupils, almost dazzling her with the sincerity of his desires. She ripped her green eyes away at once and focused on his nose instead.

"I do know you," the boy answered back, raising his chin slightly in offense. "You are Hitomi Kanzaki: The science genius in second year that hangs out in the biology room alone and reads chemistry books for fun."

"And you are Van Fanel: The school's fencing champion who put his foot in his mouth by calling me a witch and is now leaving this room!"

Van grabbed a chair and pulled it roughly towards her own. Sitting on it backwards, he placed his tan arms on the back of the chair.

"I'm not leaving."

"Of course, you are."

"I'm not leaving."

"Leave!"

"No!"

"LEAVE!"

"Why won't you help me?"

Hitomi groaned in frustration and put her face in her hands. _All I want is to escape this idiotic life. So, why? Why was I born under such an unlucky star?_

Looking back into his face, she saw the fierce resolve. He wasn't going to leave her alone until she helped him. The ring of sincerity on his eyes caused a deep sigh to come out of her mouth. She knew right then that all her will to fight was gone. He wasn't leaving despite her demands. She was completely out of options.

She watched his lips form a small smile. He knew he won the battle.

Dirt-bag.

"So, will you help?" He asked again. His voice fell soft on her ears.

Hitomi straightened in her chair and crossed her legs underneath her desk. _If I have to do it, then I will make this professional._

"Fine, but let's get one thing straight. You and I are not friends. You are not to approach me in the hallways, discuss your private life to me, or tell anyone that I am doing this for you. I like my privacy and associating with your kind will endanger that. Consider this situation… a temporary partnership."

He frowned. "My _kind? _I believe we are both classified as human…"

"That is my request for you. Do you agree?"

"Fine, fine," Van waved his tan hand. "I agree."

"What is it that you want?" She asked stiffly.

And just as she feared:

"A love potion. There's this girl in school, a beautiful girl, the most extraordinarily gorgeous girl I've ever seen. She is my dream come true. If I could get to her love me again, my whole existence would be fulfilled."

All her professionalism vanished instantly. Burrowing her face in her hands, Hitomi chided herself for giving in.

"Oh, crap…" she breathed out. "Why does the curse of this ridiculous holiday want to eat me alive?"

"So, you're in, right?" Van's hopeful voice floated to her ears. "You'll make me a potion?"

Lifting her head, she pushed her bangs up with a hand and leaned back to study him. As soon as they both agreed to this, she would be tied to it. She'd have to make it no matter what. _Stupid magic, _she thought sourly. _And stupid dirt-bag. _

Bracing herself mentally, she muttered the words she loathed to say. "I will make it."

The boy was ecstatic. He grinned brilliantly and Hitomi wanted to shield her eyes away from the shining light in his eyes.

"Really? You'll make it?"

"There are certain agreements to this."

"I already agreed to not be friends." Van said with mild exasperation.

"There's more than that!" Hitomi snapped back. "There are requirements and sacrifices you have to make in order for this to work properly. I'm just asking if you would be willing to give up-"

"I give up anything!" Van interrupted passionately.

That took her by surprise.

"Don't you want to know what you're giving up?"

The boy shrugged. "I guess I'll know now."

"Reckless…" Hitomi muttered under her breath. Lowering her hand from her forehead, she unwillingly scooted her chair closer to his. "To begin, I better give you this word of caution: concocting a love potion is no easy thing. And handling it is even harder. Love potions are highly unstable and completely unpredictable. The formula is based off of the energy of emotions and attractions one has for the other. If this girl doesn't like you, then the probability of this potion even working on her is less certain. Furthermore, there are types of ingredients which will be difficult to obtain. Also, say the day you give her the potion, she was in a bad mood. The strength of the potion will be decreased demonstrably. There would hardly be a difference in her behavior towards you. But, wait for a good day and the potion can last as long as a week. Sometimes longer than that."

Van frowned. "Wait, it's only temporary?"

"Uh, yeah," she answered sarcastically. "Newsflash, buddy, everyone poops!"

The boy turned a silly shade of red. "I was just hoping that…"

"What, that it will last forever?" Hitomi crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. Van lowered his head and stared at the floor. Glancing at his ring of desire, she suddenly felt a pang of shame hit her heart.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out so rudely. I'm just not used to seeing so much sincerity from people like you. And I still haven't told you the terms of our agreement."

"People like _me_?" Van quirked a dark eyebrow at her. She scowled at him and he dropped the subject. "All right, then. What are the terms?"

"You must give something to me in exchange for the potion. I'd call it a 'guardian' of sorts. A guardian of your heart."

The ebony-haired boy frowned. "I'm not going to lie to you, Kanzaki. Saying stuff like that sounds ridiculously cheesy."

"This is what is needed. I thought you said you'd _do_ _anything_?"

"Well, how do I narrow something down to a 'guardian of my heart'?"

Hitomi smiled. "It's simpler than you think. A guardian can mean just that: a guard or a shield. Something you have that makes you happy or content anytime you're see, feel, or think about it. Some people have several different guardians while others only have one. It really depends on the personality of the individual. It can be an object, a habit, or even a relationship you cherish. This something places an effortless barrier over your soul and protects it from damage sadness can cause. It is this joy you feel that will enable the potion to take effect. Your joy will become their joy. You temporarily become their special something. That is the basics of a love potion."

"So, the more special a guardian is to me, the stronger the potion?"

Her smile widened. "You catch on quick, Fanel."

"What happens to the guardian after the potion wears off? Does it come back to me?"

Her face slipped into a serious expression. "It is the price. Many don't realize losing their guardian is sometimes worth more than the potion. That's why it is better to figure out what your guardian is before you even begin. If you are willing to pay, you are willing to bargain the most important thing in your life. Are you sure your love for this girl is worth that? Even if it means sacrificing your own happiness?"

Van swallowed. "I don't know what my guardian is, but I'll give everything to have her back. Is that all? Besides the guardian, this seems simple enough."

"Oh, no, no, no, we are not even close to being done!" Hitomi shook her head. Her short locks flew into her face and she brushed the strands away with an impatient hand. "I have most of the base ingredients at home; however, there are specific items that have to go with this. I need nail clippings from her fingers, five strands of her hair, and 1/3 cup of dirt from her footprint. We have to gather everything before you tell me your special something. This is crucial. If you already know or figure out what your guardian is, keep it to yourself until the time comes for you to announce it."

His mahogany eyes had widened in shock. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Y-you want me to take some of her hair, fingernails, and dirt?"

"And I need some of yours as well." Hitomi answered with a perfectly serious face. "Otherwise, this cannot be done."

"But how am I supposed to get my hands on this stuff? I can't just walk up to her and say, 'Hi, can I please have some hair, nail clippings, and dirt?'"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. Yukari had said the exact same thing.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is this glorious woman you wish to woo, anyway? I just can't see any girl unwilling to jumping from the roof to date you."

Van's handsome face fell into a prideful grin. "You think rather highly of me, don't you?"

"Just answer my question," Hitomi growled trying to keep down the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Why do you place me so high on the 'social totem pole' anyway? Am I really that important?" The sincerity ring began to fade from his mahogany eyes as his smile turned even cockier. The short-haired girl felt her irritation for the idiot rage through her.

"You want to know why? Because dirt-bags like you cause these problems on me in the first place!" Hitomi roared and slammed her palms on her desk. "Girls with more sincerity in their eyes than you have pleaded for love potions and predictions! I am bombarded, harassed, and stalked by women who demand to gain the affections of the jerks in this school! I can see it in their eyes that they are going to be rejected before I even have a chance to do a reading! I have made prediction after prediction for my entire school career, only to see girls mocked and humiliated by male imbeciles, such as you! You believe you are so highly above everyone else that no other girl will do! Meanwhile, I am here to pick up the pieces of the girls broken hearts while you carry on with your swaggering ways through these ever adoring hallways. And now you have the nerve to come in here, break my only means of solitude from this hellish holiday, and demand that I curse you to the same fate as them? By all means, get smothered in your own retribution. In my opinion, dirt-bags deserve as much bad luck I can give them!"

A long, awkward silence followed. Van just stared at her. Slowly, the ring of sincerity filled his eyes once more.

"I had no idea that is what you thought of men."

"I don't hate men," Hitomi sighed as she felt her anger disappeared little by little. "I hate the things they do. You don't understand, Fanel. Women are serious when it comes to love and the guys here either drag their heart in the dirt or crush it wholeheartedly. A highly selected number of boys in this school are dirt-bags, and that is a calculation that proves itself every single year."

"Selena," Van said suddenly.

Hitomi stopped. "What?"

"The girl is Selena Schezar."

The short-haired girl almost gasped at his eyes. The sparkling desire glowed like the heavens. And he had only simply said her name. _Wow…_

"Selena Schezar?" Hitomi knew the name and the face it belongs to. Her heart filled with dread. "You want me to do a love potion on _Selena Schezar_?"

The boy lowered his head into his tan hands and rubbed his beautiful eyes. "Yeah, stupid, huh?"

"But… but I thought you two were already going out." She said with wonder. "What happened? She dumped you?"

Van's face turned into a scowl.

Bulls-eye.

"But… why? I mean, you're Van Fanel! I make love predictions about you all the time!"

"_You_ make love predictions about _me_?" he glanced at her and she saw the workings of a smile on his lips.

Her face immediately heated up. "That is to say, I make predictions for _girls_ who want to know if you'd date them. Or even if you'd be interested in them for that matter. Don't get cocky on me, but I'd say you're one of the top three in this school."

Van shook his head. "All I want is Selena."

"Why did she dump you? I mean, you obviously seem pretty faithful to her."

The ebony-haired boy looked up sharply.

"I was faithful! She didn't even give me a reason why we broke it off. It was one day she was all mine and the next she just… she didn't like me anymore. It took me a month to gather the courage to ask her out. And it took her a minute to call the thing off." He slumped further in his seat and ran a hand through his shinning black locks. "Look," he mumbled lowly staring at the desk in front of him. "It was hard enough the first time to ask her, but now that she's gone it's like my world has turned a hazy gray. There's no beauty anymore. My life has turned to ash."

Hitomi felt her sympathy rise. _Spoken like a true broken heart._

"Why do you want her back after she hurt you so much? Sounds like a lost cause to me."

Van's eyes flashed beautifully. "Not every boy is a heartless dirt-bag, you know. I understand – especially with your line of work that you see a lot of pain and suffering. But you must have had some predictions that were good. There has to be a balance between unlucky and lucky, right?"

"The fate of the stars is not balanced, unfortunately." She sighed quietly. "If it were, I would be a much happier person."

"Maybe you just need to stop looking at the stars to find your own luck."

His eyes were making her almost weak. A shiver of heat ran down Hitomi's spine and she felt the hair on her arms begin to rise.

She straightened in her chair and cleared her throat nervously. "Alright, let's just get started on this, shall we?" Reaching down to her notebook, Hitomi tore out a sheet of paper. "There is one more thing I need to tell you. This may come as a bit of an inconvenience for both of us, but it is as essential to the potion as to the ingredients."

"What's that?" Van asked, tilting his head to watch her write the materials needed.

She stopped her pen and glanced at him.

"You have to be within my sight anytime I add something new to the potion. A fully made love potion will take about four days to complete. So, that basically means we have to draw up a schedule to meet every day for at least three hours to work on this. Also, there will be a time when you have to come over to my house, but we will get back to that later since that is at the end. Lucky for you, the love potion will probably be ready right before the Valentine's Day Dance on Saturday. I suggest slipping it to her then."

"I don't want her getting another boyfriend before its ready." Van confessed quietly.

"Don't worry about that. The potency of this potion will be better than average considering she's liked you before. This will definitely give you an advantage to win her heart. So, if she's dating someone else, she will reject them faster than she rejected you."

He frowned in confusion. "I thought you said the love was only temporary."

"It is," Hitomi answered simply. "But it is the chance that it will awaken the passion residing within the heart is the main reason everyone wants a love potion. It makes you her everything regardless if she liked you before or not. During these crucial moments, you must make her see you are the one for her. When the potion wears off, the love will continue."

Van nodded in understanding.

She sighed. "I have agreed to do this for you. I can stop it now since we are still in the beginning stages, but once I get started, once you have agreed to it, I will not be able to stop until it is completed. Even if you back out in the middle of it, you will still have to give up that guardian I told you about." She gave him a sharp look. "Do you really want this to happen, Fanel? Think about it. Is a guardian really worth it?"

"I don't know what my guardian is."

She swallowed and tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. "It's a dangerous gamble. Is _she_ worth it?"

He smiled softly. His eyes glowed. "Absolutely."

A familiar tingle rushed up and down her arms. She was now tied to it.

Here we go…

she thought resignedly.

They sat for several minutes in silence as Hitomi rechecked her list.

"I believe this is everything. Well, what time and place should we meet?"

"Why should I pick at time?"

Hitomi gave him an irritated look. "Because I have to add ingredients the same time every day. Since we don't have any classes together, it will make things a bit more difficult to do. Most of the time, I am able to work on the minor mixtures during class. I'm just trying to be courteous and let you pick a moment when you're able to be within my sight for a good length of time."

"Well, I get out of fencing practice at 5pm everyday," he suggested. "How about meeting me outside the gym near the tool shed?"

"Is there an outlet in that vicinity?"

"I believe so," Van confirmed.

"Outside the gym, it is." Hitomi agreed with a smile. "We will start tomorrow afternoon. You bring yourself, and I'll bring the Bunsen burner."

* * *

Tuesday

"You're doing a love potion for _who?_" Yukari squealed loudly in the hallway. Hitomi's green eyes widened and she glanced nervously at her passing classmates. Thankfully, only a small few gave her weird looks.

"Shhh! Are you insane?" she hissed at her friend. Grabbing Yukari's hand, she led her over to an empty spot in front of the pale yellow lockers. "You know not to say those words _that loudly_ here."

"I'm sorry, I just can't… I just can't believe it. I mean, _seriously_?"

Hitomi sighed. "Looks like it."

"You're tied to it already?"

"Looks that way."

"Wow. What did he do to get you to agree?"

The enchantress was silent for a moment. "He… well, he…"

"Yeees?" Yukari encouraged, waving her hand in the air. "Keep going."

"He was… desperate…" she finished lamely.

"Desperate?" Her friend frowned. "You are doing this because he was _desperate_? Isn't every single person who assaults you for love advice and spells already surfing on multiple levels of desperation?"

"Okay, maybe desperate wasn't the right word. He just had such sincerity in his eyes. He really does like her a lot."

"Who does he want?"

Again Hitomi was silent. She didn't really want to tell Yukari about Van's love life, but she'd probably need Yukari's help in the long run. "Selena… Schezar…"

Her brown-haired friend just stared at her blankly. "I thought they were already going out. What happened? She dumped him?"

Hitomi laughed. "I asked the same exact thing. Apparently so."

"Did you warn him about the guardian? That part sucks…"

"Yes, I did warn him about it. He doesn't care."

Yukari clicked her tongue. "Reckless…"

"That's what I said!" Hitomi agreed.

Yukari's eyes narrowed and she glanced at something over Hitomi's shoulder. "Speaking of…"

The short-haired girl looked behind her and felt her heart clench in sadness. Walking slowly down the hallway like the queen bee she was, tall, blond, perfectly shaped Selena Schezar turned her head to smile at one of the four jock boys trailing beside her. Her long hair swept over her shoulder like a cascading curtain of weaved gold. A path was made for her through the mingling students. Most of the boys in the hallway stopped to watch her walk by. As she passed the two girls, Yukari shook her head.

"He's an idiot."

Hitomi just sighed.

* * *

"Now, here's what we do to get her footprint." Hitomi nodded quick thanks as she sat on the folding lawn chair Van had brought out for her. A wooden stool stood near the wall with an old, tarnished Bunsen burner on top. A cooking cauldron filled with a mysterious clear liquid was simmering quietly.

Van flopped himself on the grass and laid back with his eyes closed, listening.

"I have asked my friend, Yukari, to follow Selena after classes to get a rough drawing of her afternoon schedule. They have cheer practice at six on this field, so it's good we decided to meet at five."

"Why is that?" Van mumbled with his eyes still closed.

"Because we need to get her muddy."

"WHAT?" the ebony-haired boy rose from his prone position and swallowed thickly. "Get her _muddy_?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter and focus, please." Hitomi chided through her grin. "Guys are so predictable."

"And how do you plan on getting a footprint?"

Standing up from her chair, she motioned him to follow her around the gym.

"What are you…?" Van began, but stood quickly and ran to catch up. When he was only a few feet away, she lifted her arm to point across the field.

"Do you see that dirt path that divides the left bleachers and the track field? Everyone has to walk on that in order to get to the turf. Cheerleading practice is on the field, Fanel."

"So…?" He motioned for her to continue.

"So… use that brain power and tell me what we have to do to get a footprint?"

"Obviously make the pathway wet. I thought you had more to this than just that."

Hitomi felt her irritation rise once more for this infuriating man. "At least I thought of a plan instead of moping around in rejected despair like you've done! Show a little consideration, please!"

"You're a genius," Van said sarcastically. "Mud for muddy footprints. That was a toughie."

"Dirt-bag…" Hitomi muttered under her breath. "There is a catch in this plan, though. How will we be able to distinguish her footprint from the twenty other girls on our cheerleading squad?"

"I'm not a dirt-bag, and I don't know." Van replied tensely, trying to keep his rising temper in check.

"Lucky for you, I have people who are willing to put themselves in danger for the likes of your selfish desires. Call them… inside men."

"Inside men? You're not serious right? They don't exist with this kind of thing. That's like spy stuff."

Hitomi gave him an odd smirk. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a purple cell phone and scrolled to a number.

"Hey, Aunt Millerna, can you put Dryden on the phone?"

Apparently, they did exist.

* * *

"Hey, cousin! Who's the new squeeze?"

Van did a quick double take as his eyes fell upon a tall boy a few years younger than himself.

His hair was the brightest neon green Van had ever seen in his life! The hair stood up in short spikes all around his head.

"Hey, Gadeth, good to see you!" Hitomi smiled as though his horrible hair color was the most perfectly normal thing in the world. "You changed your hair again. What happened to blue?"

"Too dreary! I'm flashy now!"

The boy's pale face wore an excited grin as he seemed to glide over to her lawn chair. Grasping her in an unexpectedly huge hug, Hitomi squealed as her chair was tipped backward and her feet flew up in the air.

The boy whispered loud enough for Van to hear, "If he lays a finger on you, I'll kill him."

"Gadeth, watch out for the Bunsen burner! He's just a client. No need for hostilities."

"Oh, this is the client, eh?!" Gadeth let go of Hitomi and her front chairs legs thudded against the grass safely. Skipping over to Van, the green boy flopped on the grass beside him.

"What's up, buddy? Gadeth Fassa, pleased to meet ya!" He chirped loudly and raised a hand for him to shake.

"Van Fanel, likewise." Van smiled politely. However his smile was suddenly wiped away as Gadeth gasped and pulled on his arm. The green boy put his face right in Van's and zipped his spastic eyes around his face.

"You're Van Fanel? The _Van Fanel_?" He turned his large, dark eyes to Hitomi and whispered, "Your client is the champion fencer of our school? The _Van Fanel_?"

Van saw Hitomi nod and let out a small sigh. Meanwhile, Gadeth turned back to study Van's face in alarm.

"I've never seen you up close. I mean, you go to our school, but I never would have dreamed of even talking to you. Dryden is a monstrously huge fan of fencing. I am too, but not as big as he is. The poor guy has absolutely no coordination for the sport, though he's tried out almost every single semester for the team-"

"Gadeth!" Hitomi called loudly, turning red with each passing second. "Where's Dryden? I thought he said he was coming."

Letting go of Van, the green boy sat up and put his hands on his knees. "He is. You know Dryden. He locked his keys in the car again, so it will take him a second to get here-"

Hitomi clicked her tongue. "You mean you pushed him out of the car as soon as it was in park, locked the door, jumped out, and ran for it, right?"

Gadeth's face faltered in its grin. "Uhh… you don't know that…"

"You do it every time he drives you anywhere, Gadeth!" The girl accused. Van snorted a laugh and Hitomi shook her head with disbelief. "I can't believe Aunt Mil hasn't locked you in the basement yet."

"Oh, she has," A bored voice resounded from around the corner. "I'm just going to murder him before she can figure out how he keeps escaping from the chains."

A brown-haired boy came into view and leaned casually against the wall. Van could tell Dryden was definitely the calmer of the two brothers. He blinked lazily behind thin framed spectacles and lifted a pale hand to push the glasses up the bridge of his long nose.

"Dryden!" Hitomi stood to greet the new comer. "Good to see you!"

"Dude! The client is Van Fanel! _VAN FANEL_!" Gadeth called from his place on the ground.

"I know, Gadeth. I have eyes," the brown-haired boy casually replied. He turned to Hitomi, who gave her cousin a quick hug. "What's the plan? Needing a footprint?"

"Yep, and the hair as well. I'm thinking ambush on the track and field like usual," she answered. "Unless, you're worried about it being dangerous. I mean, Yukari's potion was only a year ago…"

"No need for an escaped bison, cousin." Dryden smiled and put an arm on her shoulder. "I promised you we'd never use that route the next time you had a client. We're creative enough to find an alternative method."

"So, who is this enchanting girl we will be stealing from?" Gadeth asked lethargically. He straightened unexpectedly and glanced at Van. "It is a _girl_, right?"

"_Yes_, and we don't have much time, so if you two could follow me, I'll explain who, when, and how. After that, I'll tackle unlocking your car, okay?" The short-haired girl motioned both her cousins and turned to Van, "You can wait here if you wish. I know you're tired from fencing practice."

"You just came from fencing practice?!" Dryden asked excitedly, suddenly looking a lot more like his brother. "Can I watch sometime?"

"Stop harassing him, guys! Come on!" Hitomi grabbed him and hulled him away.

Watching her lead the two boys out of sight, Van felt a relief for the quiet that followed.

Lying back down on his back, Van let his strong arms spread out along the grass. Mahogany eyes focusing on the cloud sprinkled sky above, he realized the puffy whiteness was the same color as Selena's smooth skin. Her beautiful face and soft lips, her long silky hair… only a week to wait and she would be his again.

He sighed as the last words she said to him echoed through his brain…

"_Let's break-up, okay?"_

And just like that, she was gone. He didn't get to say yes or no. He didn't get to fight for her. He didn't get an explanation. She ignored his very presence. It was almost as if he didn't exist anymore. All of the friends he had made while dating her refused to even meet his eyes. He never felt lonelier in his entire life. That is… until he had heard about the witch…

Hitomi said it was only four days to make the potion…

Could he wait that long?

Snapping out of his unpleasant thoughts, Van saw the trio appear from around the gym. He unwillingly stood up and brushed the grass glades off his pants.

"… And then smash Clara's face in the mud! What do you say, dude?" The green boy was saying enthusiastically as soon as they got close enough for Van to hear.

"Dryden, please make sure to keep him in line, okay? All we need is a footprint, not a battlefield." Hitomi groaned. She checked her watch. "Selena's squad should be heading out for practice in fifteen minutes. You guys start getting the mud ready. Dryden, you drove your Pinto, right?"

"Yep, my baby on wheels. I'm just sad I'm missing you unlocking it. Though my car loves you more than me, I never get tired of watching your magic." Dryden said regretfully.

"I don't miss Celine Dion, though…" Gadeth muttered under his breath. Hitomi giggled.

Dryden gave them a frown. "It's not funny."

"Of course it is." Hitomi laughed loudly.

The green boy smirked. "The other day, it actually spit the cd out. He was this close to grabbing it, but then the Pinto sucked it back in. It's like it's teasing him."

As Van approached, the brown-haired boy turned to him. "Well, which do you want to see, Fanel? A magic trick or mud wrestling?"

"Huh?"

"What he means to say is," Gadeth piped in. "Do you want to stick around to watch us get a 1/3 cup of dirt or escort our lovely cousin to unlock Dryden's keys from his car?"

"Stay with them," Hitomi said immediately, turning her bright green eyes to gaze at him. "You'll have to keep hidden so Selena doesn't see you, but they are quite the show."

"Don't put yourself down, cousin." Dryden patted her shoulder. "This girl is a magician! An enchanting magician!"

"True, true!" Gadeth agreed. "Inanimate objects love her."

"Bugs love her."

"Babies love her."

"Birds love her."

"Bisons love her."

"Turtles love her."

"Turtles?" Van laughed.

Hitomi just shrugged, her face growing hot.

"Just go. We'll be fine." Dryden grinned.

"Alright, show me the magic." Van chuckled.

Hitomi blinked. She lowered her head shyly and nodded.

As they silently walked away side by side, they heard Gadeth whispered loudly, "'Just go? We'll be fine'? I'm starting to wish we had a bison, bro."

* * *

Hitomi led the way through the parking lot and searched the cars. Fellow classmates wandered the area, obviously coming to see the cheerleader's practice.

"There it is!" She cried and pointed at an ancient Ford Pinto with racing stripes to the far left. "You can find that tacky thing anywhere."

Jogging quickly, Hitomi giggled as she heard the engine putting lively. "Gadeth must have actually shoved Dryden out of the car. What an idiot!"

"Are your cousins always like that?" Van asked conversationally. He heard her snort with laughter.

"Yep, they are the biggest, sweetest imbeciles I know." she chuckled, her eyes searching through the driver side window. "Goodness, he really needs to wash this car."

Strangely, Van started to hear faint music playing from the Pinto's blown out speakers. The music was oddly familiar.

"Wait, is that..."

Hitomi was trying to hold back a smile. "Celine Dion's _My Heart Will Go On_. Yes, it is."

"Is this normal?"

She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes as she straightened up.

"The Pinto loves this song. I'm not sure why or how it got access to it. Dryden swears up and down he's never bought the _Titanic_ soundtrack. For some reason, it likes to play it occasionally."

"Occasionally?" Van repeated with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well, to be honest, it's only when I'm around."

"Has it always done this?"

She turned to give him a bright smile and nodded. Touching the door of the car, the Pinto gave a loud backfire. The music grew louder.

"What did they mean by magician?"

Not answering, Hitomi ran her small hand down the top of the car. She continued to trail her fingers - down the windshield, along the hood, and to the front - as she slowly walked. Giving him a slight wink, Hitomi lifted her hand and reached down to give the right headlight a light tap with her fingers.

Instantly all the windows in the car rolled down in unison. Van couldn't believe his eyes.

It was magic!

The music blared louder than before. The speakers crackled.

"OOOOONCE MOOORE YOU OOOOPEN THE DOOOR…"

"Gadeth and Dryden have made that a nickname for the women of my family. The power passes only to the women. We are still trying to find out why." She answered having to shout slightly over Celine's passionate lyrics. She walked back to pull up the lock through the now open window.

"…HERE IN MY HEART…"

She gave him a small smile, easily slid into the car, and turned off the putting engine.

"…MY HEART WILL GO-"

The music was cut off with a strange fuzzy pop. "We prefer the name 'enchantress'." She continued as if nothing usual had happened. "Using the word 'witch' has been considered a derogatory term since the fifteenth century."

The black-haired boy stood frozen in astonishment. His brain was still trying to comprehend how she had gotten all the windows down like that. Maybe there was a hidden switch somewhere. Maybe there was a strange fluke in the Pinto's mechanics.

But no… he knew what it had to be…

"Magic…that was actually…I can't believe… Wow…"

She shrugged, though he could tell she was pleased. "I'm so used to it that I hardly notice stuff like this anymore." She moved to get out of the car and the Pinto let out a strange hiss. Van had the distinct feeling that was car language for protesting her leaving. Shutting the squeaking door, she jingled the keys between them.

"Let's go check on how they're doing."

* * *

"Got it!" A muddy figure with neon green hair called from the ground beside the Bunsen burner. Dryden was just as filthy lying collapsed on grass a few feet away.

"It was pretty fun! Kind of like mud-wrestling."

"Are you guys alright?" Hitomi demanded with concern as she jogged over with Van following closely behind.

"Dryden got the bunt of it. A true hero if I ever saw one." Gadeth declared proudly.

The brown-haired boy groaned as he tried to turn his shoulders to look at them. "We surrounded her as soon as she got out of the locker room. Told her we were in the photography club and that we were doing an expo on different shoe imprints. That didn't really work too well."

"Sorry, Mr. Fanel, sir," Gadeth apologized sheepishly. "We kind of had to fight her."

"I appreciate you guys helping out," Van reassured warmly. He quirked an eyebrow up. "And _she_ took both of you down?"

The green boy blinked and let out a chuckle. "I like him, Hitomi! He's got a sense of humor! After we had gotten her into the mud and pulled some of her hair, Dryden had to hold off the rest of the cheerleading squad as well as their boyfriends while I got the print. Hand her the goods, bro."

Hitomi walked quickly to Dryden and knelt. Though he held out a red measuring cup and long strands of blonde hair to her, she made him lower his arms and placed a gentle hand on his forehead. Van immediately felt a breath of soothing comfort wash over him from head to toe as he stepped closer to where she was. Hitomi's green eyes smiled tenderly at her cousin. His pain-filled face was already beginning to relax under her palm. Van felt his mind slowly clearing of thoughts. A vision of a endless peaceful ocean appeared before him and he submerged himself mentally in the deep waters of serenity. He sighed lazily and began to sway on his feet.

"Watch the spells, 'Tomi. You got Fanel, too." Gadeth chimed from behind him.

She turned immediately and she gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

Standing quickly, she grabbed Van's shoulders and looked up at him square in the eye. He woke slightly. The vision wavered between her sharp green eyes and his tranquil ocean. He put a hand to his head to steady his thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. She let him go and he blinked, shaking his dark head. "I didn't expect you to walk right behind me."

His sight cleared. Van gave her a small smile. "That… was interesting…"

She returned his smile and turned back to her cousin.

"Take the ingredients from him." She murmured quietly. He bent down next to her and noticed Dryden's eyes were closed. "He's got a sore rib and sprained a left pinky finger. I've calmed him down enough to keep him from the pain. He'll feel it in a few hours after the effects wear off. Aunt Mil will fix him up by the time it does though. I'm so sorry, Dryden."

Van gently took the hair and dirt while she moved to help Gadeth to his feet. She pressed the car keys into the green boy's palm and muttered, "Be safe driving. Try to be gentle. Dryden's in pain, okay?"

"Sure thing, Hitomi," Gadeth walked over and put his arm around his brother. "See you at school, Fanel."

Van felt an odd guilty feeling as he watched the two brothers limp away together. They had gotten hurt just for his selfishness. They worked so hard. Perhaps there was something he could do…

"Wait, Fassa, hold up!" Van called suddenly.

The green boy turned his head with a surprised expression as he watched Van run up to him.

"Could you tell Dryden when he wakes up to meet me in the fencing room at five tomorrow? We can keep the potion there because practice will be over. I would be more than happy to teach him some fencing techniques because of the trouble he went through today."

Gadeth's face slowly formed a huge grin. "You don't understand what you're saying here. This guy is obsessed with sword fighting. This is almost too much of a good thing."

"It's the least I could do." Van smiled back, feeling lighter by the second.

"Can I come too?"

"As long as you don't interfere with the potion." Hitomi's voice sounded from behind him. Van turned to grin at her and caught her sparkling green eyes shining at him with happiness.

His throat constricted tightly. Clearing it, he awkwardly waved goodbye to the brothers and turned to her.

"Well, what do you think, Kanzaki?"

She shook her head and muttered loud enough for him to hear, "I think you're not as big of a dirt-bag as I originally thought."

He smiled brightly.

* * *

Wednesday

"Keep your knees bent. Both of you!" Van's smooth voice called out in the echoing room.

"Yes, Sensei!"

Hitomi looked up from the simmering cauldron briefly to see both her cousins almost squatting to the ground. She struggled to keep her laughter inside and went back to stirring the mixture.

She had to admit, Van was a patient instructor. Dryden's lack of self-confidence and coordination in sports was legendary in her family. Gadeth just hated exercise. To have both of her cousins looking so serious, she wondered if Van wasn't a magic maker as well.

Adding a little touch of powdered coriander, she made sure Van was well in her sight as she did so. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind hanging around her for the better part of the afternoon. And he actually looked happy bossing her troublemaking family members around. She smiled and shook her head. _Oh, the unexpected acquaintances we create._

Her cell suddenly sang in her pocket. She smiled at the name on the caller id and unlocked it with a quick finger.

"Hello?"

"You complain about being born under an unlucky star, but I seriously think you are just dramatic."

"Hey, Yukari!" Hitomi grinned at her friend's accusing tone. "The sound of your voice makes me think you got exactly what I need."

"Yeah, no kidding, and if you want some dried skin flakes, my mom's bathroom mat would happily oblige."

"Tell me all about what happened."

"Well, those enchanted flyers for the expert manicures you put up went as predicted. My cell's been ringing off the hook for the past four hours. Anyway, the target's entire posse approached me right after school and begged me to do their nails. Let me just tell you, some of those girls made an absolute mess of my entire house, including my brother's room! He doesn't let anyone go in there!"

"Poor, Grison." Hitomi cooed and she heard her friend snort. "He might forgive you if you tell him there were girls in his room."

"Well, he's the least of my worries. My mom is going to kill me!"

"I'll come and help you clean after I get through with this. Besides, I've got to pick up the fingernails from you."

Yukari paused. "You know? I have the weirdest conversations with you."

She laughed. "And that's why I owe you the best friend award."

"Forget the best friend award and give me back my ice-cream!"

"It's not my fault you wasted your love for ice-cream on laxative chocolate! I told you the guardian wasn't worth it!"

"I just wish it didn't taste like bean paste every time I tried to eat it."

"You're still trying to eat it?" Hitomi snorted a laugh.

"Just because I can't have it doesn't mean I don't miss it."

"I always say love potions are too risky and no one believes me. And the guardian isn't the only thing that has to sacrifice because of them…" she trailed off looking at Dryden's bandaged finger.

"How far are you on the potion?"

"The spell part will come tomorrow." Hitomi stopped, wondering if she could confess to her friend. Stirring the thick pot, the enchantress swallowed her nerves and said, "Yukari, can I tell you something?"

"Nope," her friend replied sarcastically. "I don't want to hear anything you say."

She smiled. Her eyes lingered on the mixture inside the cauldron. "The potion is not taking like I want it to."

There was silence on the other end. And then, "What does that mean? The potion turned out fine for me. Until I poisoned it, of course."

"It's almost as if the ingredients are reluctant to be mixed together. I have never seen this before in any potion I've ever made. Everything always blends as one perfectly."

"Well, are you sure you're doing it right?"

"Of course!" Hitomi injected defensively. "It's not me! It's the ingredients!"

"I could say the same thing about my chocolates to Amano."

The green-eyed girl chuckled. "Keep this as your consoling thought."

"Keep what as a consoling thought?"

"That Amano probably loved you for about three hours on the toilet!"

"Jerk!"

"I love you, too!" Hitomi chirped back. "I'll be over soon."

"Hurry!"

The girl clicked her phone shut and picked up the little bottle of ginseng from her chemistry bag. Glancing around the room, she realized with a jolt that Van and her cousins were nowhere to be seen.

"Guys?" She called, her voice echoing in the empty gym. "I have to add something! If you're hiding then this isn't funny."

Glancing at the potion, she quickly calculated that she had seven and a half minutes before the potion would be too weak to handle the ginseng. Sighing with irritation, she stood from her chair and walked the length of the gym to the door.

"...apologize, but I can't go out with you." Van's distinctly smooth voice sounded from behind the doorway. Hitomi felt her heart seize in her chest as she inched closer to listen.

"I can't accept your chocolates or your affection. I'm sorry."

"But I thought, since you must get so many during this time of year, that you could just take mine and eat them first." _A confessor, _Hitomi mused. _She sounds close to tears, the poor girl._

"That would be against my own feelings. I'm sorry." He replied quickly. "I think that you should just forget about me. I already have someone I like."

Of course, who am I making this potion for?

She thought sardonically as she walked back to her stool.

But why did she feel like she had been hit in the stomach?

* * *

Thursday

"The time has come, guys! I need to borrow your Sensei for a moment!"

Van glanced at her and saw her face shining brightly. He looked back to Gadeth and Dryden in confusion. They gave him a painful smile.

"Just do what she says and get it over with." Dryden said with a tense face. "I promise, we won't look, right Gadeth?"

"I respect you, Sensei!" the green boy bowed reverently. "We will continue doing squats."

Feeling slightly afraid, Van made his way over to 'Hitomi's Boring Corner' – as Gadeth fondly called it – and stood before her.

"What time has come?" He asked suspiciously. "What's going on?"

"Kneel down in front of me." She instructed professionally, though her face betrayed her excitement.

He frowned and got on his knees before her chair.

This is the closest I've been to her since the classroom.

He thought randomly.

She picked up the red 1/3 cup of dirt and held it to him. "Keep this in your left hand; and make sure your eyes stay completely on me. You must never look away, alright? You must also repeat everything I tell you to say. You cannot make any other sound with your mouth unless directed otherwise. After you chant the first part of the spell, I will drop the fingernails in. Following the second part, her hair will be added. And when I give you a nod, you must touch your lips to the dirt and hand the cup to me."

"WHAT!?" Van cried almost spilling the cup in his surprise. "I'm going to kiss dirt!?"

He heard Gadeth's laughter and felt his cheeks grow warm.

"You have to! These are the instructions!" Hitomi demanded, slightly losing her aura of authority. "Just do it and get it over with! You don't have a choice!"

He sighed and stared straight in her eyes as ordered. She looked completely serious.

"Fine," He muttered with unwilling resolve. "Fire away."

She picked up one of two small wads of tissue next to the Bunsen burner and held it over the potion's steaming surface. Focusing all his strength on Hitomi's green eyes, he breathed in deeply to settle his thoughts.

"Say after me and we will begin the process: _Her fingers bounded like a woven sun will be broken from their restrains_."

"Her fingers bounded like the woven sun will be broken from their restrains." He repeated the words with an uninterested tone.

"_They will search for me when I am not present_."

"They will search for me when I am not present."

"_And when they find me, the sun will shine its lover's warmth through her heart_."

"And when they find me, the sun will shine its lover's warmth through her heart."

As soon as he finished his sentence, she shook out the tissue. A fiery heat exploded unexpectedly from the cauldron and Van suppressed the urge to yell in surprise. Hitomi hardly blinked, almost as if under a trance.

Surprising,

he thought as the hot fumes turned lovely lavender in his peripheral vision;

_I would have never expected her fingernails to turn it purple._

Hitomi reached over and picked up the other wad of tissue without looking. He kept his eyes trained on hers, waiting for the next step.

She continued with a quiet voice. "Repeat this, please: _Her thoughts flowing rich like a woven silk will be soft for me_."

Van swallowed, his own thoughts scrambling to understand what exactly she had said.

"Her thoughts… flowing rich like a woven silk…" He hesitated and knew he was panicking.

She smiled reassuringly and placed her free hand on his shoulder. In doing so, her face grew closer to his.

"…_will be soft for me_." She whispered.

"…w-will be soft for me." Van stuttered, the intimacy of her face distracting his thought process.

"_They will search for me when I am not present_."

"They w-will search for me when I am not present."

"_And when they find me, the silk shall weave the finest tie through her heart_."

"And when they find me… the…" He could hardly stand it. The cauldron spewed great clouds of purple smoke. Hitomi's eyes were making him light-headed.

She squeezed his shoulder, waking him slightly. "… _silk shall weave the finest tie through her heart_."

"…silk shall weave the finest tie through her heart."

Hitomi's smile widened beautifully as she shook out the tissue. The heat in the cauldron cooled to a softer temperature. The smoking purple cloud around their heads smelled of lilies and strawberries. Her skin seemed to glow through the wafting air and had no trouble keeping his attention fully focused on her.

She is gorgeous.

He gasped as suddenly Hitomi's hand grew hot on his shoulder. The smile on her face vanished as her green eyes dimmed slightly.

And then, unlike anything he had ever known before, a rush of fiery heat burst from her hand and stampeded through his body like a volcano. He gasped with pain.

And the words she had chanted…

He knew immediately what to say.

"_Her path winding like a deep tempest will be calm for me_." He said suddenly, his eyes still connected with hers. Van hardly noticed as her face turned pale. "_The path will follow me when I am not present_. _And when the path finds me, the tempest shall quail under her love_."

Van hardly heard Dryden and Gadeth gasp as he instinctively put the cup to his lips and kissed the foot printed soil without her approval.

He didn't understand it.

He just knew.

Hitomi's eyes grew dimmer as the purple smoke wavered between their two faces. Her skin was almost deathly white.

"_I kiss the ground she walks, for she is my one match_."

"Hand me the cup," she whispered faintly, her staggered breath falling fast on his face. She held out a trembling hand and took it with shaking fingers. Dumping the contents in the cauldron, the liquid puffed red smoke before turning a pretty, deep mahogany.

With that climatic ending, the wave of heat faded from his mind almost as instantly as it had come. He groaned as his head ached slightly and finally tore his eyes away from hers to regain the balance on his knees.

"What happened?" he whispered, rubbing his forehead and closing his tired eyes. Hitomi leaned heavily on his shoulder. "I feel terrible."

There was no answer. Opening his eyes quickly, Van realized her head had fallen on his shoulder.

"Kanzaki!" He yelled and grabbed her under the arms. Pulling her off the chair, he settled her gently on the ground.

Her face was ashen with deep purple bags under her barely closed eyes. Listening to her chest, he heard a soft, ragged gasp. She seemed near death.

"What's happened? Is she alright?" Van hadn't even heard Gadeth and Dryden run over to them.

"I don't know," Van cried out, reaching out to her cold neck to feel for her pulse. "We got to the middle part of the spell and she just stopped! I was able to finish everything, but right after it was done, she just collapsed!"

"Sensei, pick Hitomi up right now!" Gadeth ordered fiercely, jumping over to her other side. "I saw the same thing happen with mom and dad once! Dad took mom's powers when she refused to fix the garbage disposal with magic! You've taken her power because one of you didn't want the spell to work! That's why you knew what to do! The magic shifted to you to complete the spell!"

"I-I did magic?" Van stuttered with bewilderment. "But I didn't mean to-"

"No time to discuss if you meant to or not!" Gadeth roared. "Put your arms around her! She has to get the energy back from you!"

Immediately, he scooped his arm around her tiny waist. She was completely limp as he lifted her easily into his lap. Her head fell lifelessly back onto his shoulder as he propped her against his chest. She felt so small and fragile in his arms. Van hadn't expected it. She was usually so loud and strong.

Van caught the smell of her hair… strawberries?

"Like this?" He asked tensely, holding her up with one arm on her stomach.

Gadeth nodded. "Drape your other arm around her front. Keep still and she should wake up in a moment. Mom was comatose for about an hour until dad held her in his arms. She woke almost instantaneously."

"I remember that." Dryden muttered as he studied Hitomi's face. "Quick thinking, Gadeth."

Nervous, Van tucked his arm respectfully around her stomach and held her against his body. She was cold even through both their clothes. He unthinkingly began to rub her chilled arm. Breathing in her short hair, the mahogany-eyed boy swallowed thickly. He felt strangely settled with her lying in his arms.

She didn't want the spell to work?

Van studied her still face wonderingly.

_Hadn't she agreed to help him? What could she possibly be thinking to make her own magic shift to him? _

Remembering her intoxicating beauty during the spell, the ebony-haired boy felt a hammer hit his stomach painfully.

I… didn't want the spell to work?

Van blinked at that thought. Impulsively, he pressed her closer to him.

That didn't make any sense at all! He couldn't wait for the potion to be complete!

"Hitomi?" Dryden bent his brown head to glance worriedly at her pale face. "Hitomi, can you hear me?"

"Put your hand on her cheek." Gadeth instructed, standing over Van like a hawk. "She needs more of your body heat."

With his free hand, Van let his palm press against the soft skin of her face. Her velvety, cold cheeks felt smooth under his rough fingers.

And just as Gadeth had predicted, within seconds, her body grew warmer and warmer. Van watched as the color in her face came flooding back. The purple bags faded, her lips turned cherry, and her face became a blushing red.

And then, her eyes flew open.

Van gasped as her green orbs stared strangely at him, blinked twice, and widened in realization. He removed his hand from her face faster than he could imagine as she lifted her head off his shoulder and noticed his tight grip around her waist.

"What the heck is going on?" She cried in shock, trying to worm her way free from Van's arms. "Why are you holding me?"

"Hitomi!" Gadeth and Dryden yelled together and both jumped into a tackling hug. Van heard Hitomi shriek in surprise and felt the wind knock out of his lungs as three people fell into his body at once.

"Ugh!" he moaned. His head throbbed against the wooden floor and his chest could hardly take the pressure due to the weight of bodies.

"What has gotten into you two? Get off of me!" she squealed.

"She's okay! I told you that would work!" Gadeth's muffled voice sounded like he was crying. "I'm such a genius!"

"That was pretty smooth," Van admitted with a gasping voice. "But _I'm_ going to pass out if you guys don't get off me soon!"

"Gah! The potion!" Hitomi cried, hurriedly knocking both the boys aside to inspect it. Van felt his lungs expand gratefully as he watched her frantically grab her stirring spoon and whip it into the goop in the cauldron. "Please, don't be ruined!"

"Forget about that!" Dryden demanded, looking slightly affronted. "You just passed out like the dead! This is not the time to be worrying about silly love potions."

Ignoring her cousin, Hitomi lifted a spoonful of the potion and inspected it. She sighed with relief and began to stir it gently. "What happened?" She asked, glancing at Van, who realized he still sat sprawled on the ground with Gadeth and Dryden.

The green boy cleared his throat importantly. "You passed out and-"

"You obviously were worried about the potion and it broke your concentration." Van injected suddenly, giving her confused face a comforting smile. Both cousins stared at him with puzzlement. "I mean, you've worked so hard on this and you're clearly dedicated. You've just overextended yourself. You should take a break from time to time. The potion will turn out alright. You've done this before."

Hitomi blinked in surprise. "It has been quite difficult to support the midnight poppies blooming schedule."

"Keeping you up, those poppies?" Van grinned.

"The worst kind of flower imaginable," she smiled back.

Gadeth frowned at Van as Dryden shook his head in hopelessness.

"Which, by the way, I need you to meet me in the biology room tomorrow during lunch." She said importantly, standing up from the Bunsen burner to brush out her skirt. Van's gaze watched her.

"Why do you need me?" Gadeth asked stupidly.

"Not you!" Hitomi laughed, walking over to give her cousin a playful push. "Fanel, of course! This is his potion after all!"

"Why do you need me?" Van repeated Gadeth's question, straightening up to sit cross-legged on the floor.

"I have to mix the honey, nutmeg, and the red rice-wine together before the midnight incantation on Friday night. They have to mold together with your hair, fingernails, and footprint for at least twelve hours prior. We will still have to meet at five in here though. There will be only minor additions to the potion, but they still count."

"There's going to a midnight incantation on Friday?" The ebony-haired boy felt his back run with chills at going to her house at night.

"Don't you remember? I told you Monday that there would be a time when you would have to come to my house. Well, tomorrow's Friday so we have to get your DNA in the cauldron as well. We can't do that unless we meet up at lunch time and get the mixture ready. And then tomorrow night we will add it. Oh, and have your guardian ready before Saturday night. This potion has a price, remember?"

"What if I still don't know what to give up?" Van asked curiously.

Hitomi gave him a smile. It looked like filled with pity. "You'll find it. Just think of happiness. The guardian won't be far behind."

* * *

"_Let's break-up, okay?" Selena's beautiful face wavered around him, her blonde hair billowing in some unknown breeze. As quickly as the words parted her luscious cherry lips, she turned her striking ocean eyes away from his face._

"_Why, Selena!?" he called desperately, trying to lift his arms to reach her. He gasped as chains jingled around his wrists. "Don't you love me anymore?"_

Silence… there was only silence as her head turned and she began to seductively walk away, shaking her hips. Van's eyes focused on her lustfully, feeling his heart wrench with pain.

Why was she leaving?! Why didn't she love him?!

"_She may not now, but she will," A hopeful voice chimed beside him. Van turned to see Hitomi standing serenely next to his right arm, her eyes also on Selena's retreating form. Her green orbs glowed vibrantly in her eyes as her short hair swayed elegantly on her soft, pale neck. A small smile lifted on her lips as she turned her smooth-sharp gaze onto his pain filled face. _

"_Those must be uncomfortable. Here, I can help." Her skin radiated beauty and a soft shimmering glow suddenly haloed off her skin. Gently touching his right wrist, the lock snapped open and fell to the floor. A giggle escaped her mouth as she almost floated to his other side and grazed her finger on his left mangle. _

"_Is that better?" She asked with concern as the chains rattled to the floor. _

Van could only nod. She was even more beautiful than Selena.

"_She's gone, you know?" Hitomi whispered, leaning her head closer to his ear. "But I'm still here. For now at least." _

The breath of her voice caused a warm shiver to run down his entire body, filling his whole being with comfort. He couldn't stop the smile. Reaching out, Van held out his hand to her.

Shaking her head, she backed away. The heat immediately left him and his body turned cold and stiff.

"_Why are you backing away?" He called. "I thought you said you'll still be here!"_

"_A guardian comes when needed. It only appears in your deepest distress." Her smile faltered and her eyes faded in sadness. _

"_A perfect sacrifice for a perfect potion."_

His eyes opened immediately and his vision focused on his white bedroom ceiling. Noticing his arm in the air, Van lowered it onto his bed covers with a sigh; he felt the remnants of his dream begin to fade quickly from his mind.

Turning over in bed, he frowned as he tried to remember exactly what had happened in his dream. He remembered Selena was in it. But there had been someone else.

Someone who had helped him.

Groaning, he turned over onto his stomach and closed his eyes.

An unknown sadness randomly filled him.

Why couldn't he remember that person?

* * *

Friday

"Great! You're on time!" A familiar voice chirped as a stumbling, bleary-eyed Van entered the biology room.

"I'm so hungry," he moaned.

"Oh, stop being dramatic and sit down," she commanded cheerfully.

Van noticed her bento box laid flat on her desk and felt his stomach give a growling squeeze. He plopped on top of the seat in front of her and scowled. "Why lunch? This is the best part of the day!"

"Don't you bring your lunch?" Hitomi asked matter-of-factly as she turned back to her sandwich. "I always do."

"I'd rather sleep than make my lunch."

"That's why you are in this predicament," Hitomi smiled coolly at him and picked up her chemistry bag. "And that's also why I made you one, too."

Her hand shook slightly as she lifted a box from the inside of the satchel. Van started in surprise and delight.

"You made me one? Really?"

"I figured you wouldn't have time to buy your lunch today anyway." She said quickly, not looking at him. "And I fortunately made extra."

"Awesome!" Van cheered and lifted his hand to grab the held out sack. His palm accidentally brushed her fingers. Instantly, a flash of chains, warmth, and sadness sprung inside him. He swallowed a thickness in his throat and took the bento quickly.

Glancing at the girl in front of him, he studied her expression to see if she had also felt anything. Her face was bright and shining, just like normal.

"Like I said yesterday, we need to add your hair, fingernails, and footprint to this particular mixture."

"I got my footprint this morning," Van put a hand into his pocket and held out a Ziploc bag with dirt in it.

"I brought nail clippers and small scissors for your hair. We only need five strands, so it shouldn't be that difficult." She turned to her satchel once more and pulled out a mixing bowl, a bottle of nutmeg, and a jar of honey. Lastly, she yanked out a tall bottle of wine.

"If someone comes in here, you are going to be in trouble," he warned as she thumped the bottle on the desk.

"No one comes in here unless I want them to," she responded confidently, opening the nutmeg.

"What about me, then?"

She glanced at him and he saw the corners of her mouth curve slightly up. "You were unexpected."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Van picked up the chopsticks and dug into bento. He grinned at her with a mouthful.

"This is really good!"

"Glad you like it," she groaned as she tried to open the jar of honey. Closing her eyes, she exhaled briefly before straining on the lid again.

"Give that to me," Van demanded gently, dropping his chopsticks and holding out his hand for the jar.

"I can get it!"

"It doesn't look like it."

"I'm just making it look difficult. It's coming, really."

"No, you're making it look like it's glued shut."

"Have some faith!"

"I have faith that you're going to hurt yourself if you don't hand that over to me."

"I can read the stars and they say this lid will come off without help from you!"

"And the daytime is full of stars, isn't it?"

Sighing in defeat, she let out a small chuckle and set the jar down. The ebony-haired boy reached over and snatched it away.

"Watch the professional work his magic," Van gloated as he tossed the jar to his left hand and placed his right fingers along the lid's rim.

"Yes, Sensei," Hitomi mocked, mimicking Gadeth and Dryden's wide-eyed gaze.

He laughed at her face. Cracking his neck expertly, he sucked in a breath and pushed with all his strength on the lid. His fingers hurt from the ridges on the rim and his wrist screamed for him to stop.

And the lid didn't budge one centimeter.

"Don't hurt yourself," The short-haired girl smirked as she watched him struggle.

"Why-is-this-not-coming-off!?" Van growled as he poured all his strength into the lid.

It still didn't move.

"Hmmm… try opening it the other way," Hitomi suggested, studying his hands with green eyes full of interest.

"This is how you open a jar!" he struggled again with the lid.

Hitomi clicked her tongue. "Just do what I say. I'm a _witch_, remember?"

Van glanced at her and watched her eyes crinkle with a bright, encouraging smile.

"Alright, fine," he agreed and switched the jar to his right palm. Sucking in another breath, he wrenched the lid with muscles tense. The jar refused for a fraction of a second and then…

POP

The lid came right off.

A silly, elated pride filled his heart as he playfully set the open honey on the desk and push it towards her arrogantly.

"Eventually, all foes fall before my strength and muscle."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh, he who tried so desperately to open a jar of honey the wrong way. Your might hardly matches your brainpower."

Van continued to grin at her foolishly as she silently measured out a percentage of honey and added it to the mixing bowl. She did the same with the wine and nutmeg.

Stirring the sweet-smelling mixture with a large silver spoon, she finally glanced up.

"Cut your nails, Hercules. We need them soon."

"All of them or one hand?"

"Just five whole slivers. Try not to cut them in pieces. I need waxing moons, okay?"

The ebony-haired boy snorted a laugh as he picked up the clippers. "Waxing moons?"

Her green eyes immediately turned defensive. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." He waved a hand, swallowing his laughter.

Skimming his eyes at her while clipping his fingers, Van felt his stomach sink with a calming sadness. Once this week was over, their reasons for being together like this would be gone. He would have Selena and Hitomi would go back to whatever she was doing before he met her.

This is what should happen though,

the mahogany-eyed boy thought to himself as he watched her stir the mixture quietly.

_She wants to be left alone. That's the only thing I can do for her once this potion is done. _

Somehow, in his heart, he knew he was wrong.

* * *

Later that afternoon, the air whistled as a wobbly stick raged through the still atmosphere. Hitomi sat in her usual corner; though the potion bubbling next to her was hardly noticed. Her green eyes stayed almost unthinkingly on the unarmed, dark-haired boy who was currently avoiding the sporadic swing of Gadeth's wooden practice sword. Dryden sat cross-legged against the wall, holding Van's spare fencing sword like a precious jewel.

"Use the knowledge you know about Gadeth and his own personality will fight against him, Dryden," Van instructed smoothly all the while ducking the green boy's sword and sending him staggering to the right. "Most of the techniques evolve from studying the footwork. In understanding which foot your opponent favors, you can predict the swings of his sword."

Gadeth glowered and wiped his sweaty face. "Predicting me, Sensei? I would think that impossible."

"You're more readable than you think, Gadeth," Van grinned as he instantly moved to the right to evade another strike from the green boy. "Your changing hair color suggests you like to be flashy. That means you will try to take me down with wide movements. You've also got a lot of pride with just a slight temper. Just from those character traits, I can tell that you will attack with what is most comfortable to hit with the most force. That is why you are trying to catch me with a majority of right swings. You are right-handed and find that strike more favorable."

"That's not fair!" Gadeth cried out, whipping his blade to the left almost as if to prove him wrong. Van ducked with a laugh.

Suddenly, Hitomi's cell sang in her purse, stopping Gadeth mid-strike. All three stared at her wonderingly as she turned bright red and snatched up her purse.

"Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen," she smiled sweetly as she stood to walk out of the huge practice room. "Cease your murderous exercise until I am out of the room."

Van watched her as she passed, her petite skirt swayed with her graceful stride. Her short hair floated elegantly in the breeze as she opened the large wooden doors and slipped into the outside sun. Turning to Gadeth once more, the ebony-haired boy blinked in surprise to find the sword pointed straight under his chin.

"Lay a finger on her and I'll kill you," the green boy smirked jokingly, though his dark eyes betrayed his seriousness.

Van raised his eyebrows. Lifting a strong hand, he attempted to push away the sword. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Gadeth whipped the wood out of Van's hand and placed it back to his neck. "Really? You really have no idea? I'm beginning to think I can read your thoughts almost as easily as you can read mine."

"Do you?" Van's eyes brightened in anger. "Then tell me what I am thinking and why it gives you the right to hold your sword to my neck?"

"Gadeth, put your sword down, you idiot!" Dryden called out, standing up from the wall.

"No, I won't. Not until _Sensei_ admits it."

"Admits what?" Van asked bewildered. He maneuvered to his left and found Gadeth right there with him. The wood touched his neck briefly.

"Put the sword down!" Dryden roared, marching to his brother. "Put it down now!"

"No! He's got to say it!"

"Say what!?" Van yelled wonderingly. "What do I have to say!?"

"Say it was your fault Hitomi lost consciousness yesterday! You didn't want the spell to happen, so it sucked Hitomi's of her power and _made_ you say it! It's your fault she's here every afternoon working as hard as she does! It's your fault she's losing sleep to make up ingredients! It's your fault she's upset about the midnight poppies! It's entirely your fault!"

Van was speechless.

"And then you have the nerve to look at her that way." Gadeth whispered the words, trembling with anger. "You think you can just use and drop her once your pretty blonde comes running back? You don't even deserve her help. How she got roped into this, I will never know. She gives and gives for others and never expects anything. Are you even paying her for the potion?"

Frozen, Van found himself searching his memory for any discussion of payment.

"I have to give up the guardian of my soul," he answered.

"Everyone has to give that! It's part of the potion, stupid!" Gadeth snarled. "I mean money!"

"…No, she has never-"

"Of course, she hasn't! She's doing this for you out of the kindness in her heart! That woman has the sweetest soul in the world! If you play with her feelings in any way, consider yourself dead where you stand!"

The ebony-haired boy swallowed and breathed in deeply. "I won't play with her feelings, Gadeth. I promise you. I love Selena."

The green boy snorted. "Fine way of showing it."

"She's only a friend to me."

"Then why do you act like Dryden's Pinto around her?"

"Put down the sword," Dryden approached his brother and placed a calm hand on his shoulder. Turning to Van, he said softly, "If you want us to leave, we will go."

"I won't leave her with him!" Gadeth snarled.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Dryden snapped, and pushed his wooden sword away from Van. "You've talked enough for today!"

A silence fell between the three of them.

"…fertilizer with only miniature horse manure. I said _only_, got it?"

All of their head's turned as the object of their fight opened the door and slid inside.

"I know you'll get me the bag I want, Balgus! You've got the best poop in town!" She giggled into the phone as an obvious loud shouting was heard on the other line.

"Calm down, calm down, it was a compliment, you know?" She rolled her green eyes and caught sight of the three boys frozen in place. Flashing them a bright smile, she began to walk oblivious back to her spot.

"Stop yelling and I'll see you later this afternoon to pick it up."

Clicking off her phone, she charmingly perched on her lawn chair and picked up a bottle to read the label.

"Try ducking this, _Sensei_," Gadeth whispered suddenly and whipped his sword quickly to the right. Catching Van completely by surprise, he could only watch as the wooden sword wacked hard into his side, stinging his ribs. His breath knocked out of his lungs, the ebony-haired boy choked as he felt another bruising smack on his broad shoulder.

"Gadeth, what are you doing?!" He heard Hitomi shout across the room. "Don't hit him!"

"Stop this! Are you crazy?" Dryden's voice mixed with hers.

Van knelt and covered his head in protection, only to feel a roaring sting on his right arm. Eyes watering with pain, he attempted to steady his panting breath before the next hit came.

Nothing happened.

Glancing up from the shield of his hands, Van noticed a pair of pale legs standing in front of him. His eyes roamed up to see a small skirt, a properly tucked in blouse, and the straight, small back of Hitomi guarding him. A strange wind seemed to flutter through her hair, making the strands look longer than they appeared.

"_You will stop this_." Her voice sang into his ears like harmony and caused a warming tremble to run through his entire body. Immediately, the throbs from Gadeth's hits ceased to hurt. Van could not take his eyes away from her. She was beautiful… so beautiful… a glowing light radiated off her skin like starlight.

"I will stop this." Van heard Gadeth reply monotone.

"_You will give me the sword_."

"I will give you the sword."

Obediently, her cousin handed her the weapon. As she moved her arm to take the sword, Van caught a glimpse of Gadeth's face. He was looking at her adoringly.

She placed the sword on the ground and stood back up. Her figure gracefully floated through the air like a dance. Everything she did was perfect.

"_You will forget your anger and what you were fighting about. Leave the room and come back after you have walked around the building twenty times. You will then feel remorse over your actions and come back inside to apologize._"

Gadeth blinked suddenly as if awakening from a dream. Turning on his heel, he immediately strolled out of the door and his green head disappeared from sight.

The warmth from her faded slowly. Her shimmering body weakened to her usual pale coloring.

Suddenly, she gasped in pain and dropped to the floor in front of him.

"Hitomi!" Van and Dryden called out together. Crawling to her side, the ebony-haired boy grabbed her right arm to pull her towards him. She cried out and wrenched herself out of his grasp.

Wrapping her arms around her body, she began to shake uncontrollably.

"W-Wow, h-he can really hit h-hard," she stuttered in a whisper. "I m-might need help back to m-m-my chair."

"Hitomi, what did you do?" Dryden demanded softly.

Van glanced at her right arm once more and lifted his hand gently to unbutton her wrist collar. Slowly he pushed the sleeve up her forearm to the spot where he had been hit by Gadeth. Her skin was red and beginning to swell. He gasped audibly and looked at his own arm.

It was completely healed.

Her cousin grimaced at the sight. "Did you take his wounds?"

She nodded with her eyes closed. Her body shook again.

"Gadeth's temper has always been out of control," she explained in a soft, strained voice that betrayed her pain. "But for him to take it out on you, Van, that was just uncalled for. No matter what the fight was about, he has no right to hit others. Since you are my client and Gadeth is my cousin, I will take responsibility for his actions. "

Looking down at her, Van felt another patch of sadness creep under his skin. There was something he was forgetting. Something important. Once again the vision of chains around his wrists washed over him. It was gone in less than a second.

"So much for the "we can't be friends" rule, eh?" Van smiled tensely, trying to lighten the mood. "You didn't have to take the pain. I could have handled it."

She opened her hurt filled eyes to his and he felt his heart knock roughly in his chest. The beauty in her face had not left. Though the radiant glow was gone, Van found himself still entranced by her as if it was still there.

"I will heal the bruises when I get home. I will be perfectly fine."

"Are you done with the potion for today?" the ebony-haired boy asked her soothingly, unthinkingly reaching out to touch the soft hairs that lay on the ground around her head. He blinked quickly and retracted his hand.

Thankfully, Hitomi and Dryden hadn't noticed.

"The only ingredients left are the mixture we made today and the guardian." She muttered with her eyes closed. "It can simmer for another four hours until I have to change out the bronze cauldron to a gold one. You will already be at my house when I do this, so there shouldn't be any problems."

That's right,

Van thought immediately. _Today is Friday. I'm going to her house tonight at midnight._ He felt strangely excited at the thought.

Turning to Dryden, he whispered, "Take the potion and pack her bag. I'll carry her home."

"No, no, no!" Hitomi cried as she tried to sit up. She panted and let out a small squeal of pain, clutching her side. "I can walk. You don't need to carry me."

"Just carry her to my baby and I'll drive her home, Fanel," The brown-haired boy shot him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about my brother. He's an idiot."

"No, it's alright," Van shook his head and let his eyes slide onto Hitomi's beautiful face. Waiting for Dryden to head over to her potion area, he muttered inaudibly to himself, "He was right…"

"That was the first time…" she said hesitantly.

"First time?" Van asked confused.

"You said my first name." He smiled at her blush.

Scratching the back of his neck, he nodded slowly. "I guess you're right. It sort of just came out."

"Do you mind if I call you 'Van'?"

"I'd rather Hercules, but Van will do."

Her cheeks were a luscious pink. "You're not going to insist on carrying me still, right? I really don't want to have you strain yourself on my behalf."

"Who's straining himself?" Van grinned at her cheekily, shaking his head. "Hercules, remember?"

"Oh, yes, the one who couldn't figure out how to open the jar?

"Hercules rescue damsel. Damsel admire big muscle."

She giggled at him and stopped with a face full of pain. "I think you're making the bruise worse by making me laugh. And just for the record, Hercules doesn't rescue damsels that don't want to be rescued."

"Oh, yeah? Did the daytime stars tell you that?"

She scowled jokingly at him, not answering.

"What are you afraid of? That I'll drop you?"

Hitomi looked away and blushed prettily. "Maybe…"

"Let's just get this clear: I won't let you go."

A bit of her hair fell into her face as she glanced at him with thoughtful eyes. Catching her gaze, Van felt a fire raced through his chest. His eyes traveled on their own accord to rest on her small lips, which were slightly parted. Lifting a hand, he finally allowed himself to brush the strands of her soft hair out of her face and behind her ear. Expecting her to pull away, Van was shocked when she closed her beautiful eyes and leaned her smooth cheek against his hand.

She was intoxicating. His senses sharpened, his eyes cleared. Her face was all he could see.

It was all he wanted to see.

Leaning closer, Van felt the uncontrollable urge to kiss her.

She let out a small gasp and retracted her face away from his hand. Turning her head to the other side, she lifted her arms to him and waited.

Van started as though waking from a dream. The fire that once raged through him had disappeared instantly as though doused by a fire hydrant. Swallowing his rising confusion and disappointment, he placed her arm around his neck and scooped her legs. She looped her hand around his other shoulder as he rose to a standing position with her cradled in his arms.

"Tell me if I'm moving too fast, okay?" he said softly to her as he nestled her body closely to his chest. She nodded, her head still turned away.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She shook her head and a waft of strawberries filled the air.

"Did I do something wrong?"

She paused for a moment, contemplating his words. With a quick glance at his eyes, she blushed brightly and looked away again.

"It's not you. It's… everything…" She muttered vaguely, sighing the word.

"Everything?"

"Have you found out what you are going to give up?" She asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"I-I hadn't thought about it much." He stuttered at the unexpected question. "Why do you ask?"

"Tonight, after the incantation, you must give up your guardian."

"Tonight?" Van gasped and shifted her in his arms. "I didn't know it was so soon!"

As Hitomi opened her mouth to answer, Dryden appeared before them, heavy loaded with her equipment. He panted slightly and smiled at the both of them.

"I don't know how you can carry all this crap being as tiny as you are. Seriously, Hitomi. You must have hidden forearms the size of a gorilla."

Hitomi chuckled at her cousin and suddenly clenched with pain. "Thanks, Dryden."

"Speaking of gorilla, I think we need to fetch the Hulk outside," the brown-haired boy grinned. Leading the way out the door, he called out, "He's probably on lap four and decided to take a break."

"I feel bad for doing that to him." She mumbled guiltily as Van step-sided awkwardly out the door.

"Naw, mom does that stuff all the time. He actually has a trail around the house he has to follow. Mom just says, "Go to your trail!" and he comes back later all tired and apologetic."

Van chuckled at the thought while Hitomi giggled in his arms.

Unexpectedly, the ebony-haired boy saw her chest rise with a sigh and felt the astonishing pressure of her head on his chest. Glancing down, he watched her eyes close and her mouth lift with a soft smile. A satisfied feeling rose in his chest. He gazed at Dryden's back and made a silent wish to the stars that the boy wouldn't turn around and spoil the moment.

Apparently, the stars had another in mind…

"SENSEI! I'm sorry! Please, forgive me! Don't kill me with your jock friends tomorrow at school! I'm sorry!" A vibrantly green head appeared around the corner of the building and raced towards them at breakneck speed. Falling to his knees, Gadeth slid on the grass several feet away and dropped his flamboyant head to the ground in surrender. "I don't know what came over me! I do know that my life is not worth anything to you, but please! SPARE ME!"

"Calm down. Everything that happened is forgiven." Van reassured gently. "Stand up and help Dryden with her things."

The green boy lifted his wide eyes and saw Hitomi in Van's arms. He nodded with a worried look on his face. "What happened to her?"

"She… fell asleep," Dryden explained. "I've got her supplies and Sensei's the strongest out of all of us, so he's going to carrying her to the car. Here, you take the lawn chair."

Watching Dryden load Gadeth with Hitomi's heavy equipment, he heard her snort quietly.

"Dryden's pretty sharp, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Van mumbled back, peeking down at her face. Though her eyes remained closed, her smile was wider.

"Gadeth really is a good guy." She said quietly. "He's just immature to the core. Don't think any less of him because of this"

Remembering the green boy's accusing words, he silently argued that he was actually pretty smart.

The ebony haired boy answered quietly. "I can understand his feelings."

"Well, you're immature, too, so I'm not surprised."

"Hey, Hercules have big muscle. Muscle beat intelligence."

"And intelligence keeps you from getting hit by a wooden stick."

"I resent that comment. For your information, I had the situation under control."

She peeked up at him and her green eyes twinkled. "Van?"

"What?"

"I know I said that I didn't want us to be friends after the potion. Do you mind if I take that back?"

An unexpected jolt ran through him as he nodded. "Anyone who makes homemade bentos that taste like heaven is okay in my book."

"Good." She giggled and closed her eyes once more. Shifting her weight in his arms, he sighed as her head fell on his chest once more. A sweet silence fell between the two of them. Even Dryden and Gadeth's noisy bantering hardly broke through the serene. It was a contagious comfort.

"Oh yeah," Van remembered randomly and instantly wished he hadn't spoken. He felt her jerk against him with surprise. "Don't you have poop to pick up?"

"Balgus!" Hitomi gasped and began to wiggle in Van's arms. "His shop's going to close soon! I have to get there!"

"Whoa! Stop moving!" He yelled and held her tighter to him. "Just tell me where to go and I'll take you there, okay?"

"What's wrong?" Dryden called frowning with curiosity as he tucked a wooden spoon down Gadeth's shirt.

"She forgot her poop," Van answered with a grin.

"It's not my poop, it's for the poppies!" She vindicated shrilly. "To the Pinto, Van! Step on it!

* * *

"**Next stop, Jackson Station. Repeat: Next stop, Jackson Station**."

Van jerked as the empty underground train pulled to a stop and the sliding doors opened. He sighed, his heart thumping heavily, as he stood to exit.

Pulling out the rumpled paper with Hitomi's handwritten directions, the ebony-haired boy chewed his lip thoughtfully as he passed by small closed shops that lined the street. Peeking to his left at the dark glass, his tall walking frame reflected back to him. Reaching up, Van tried to flatten his longish hair.

He was supposed to give up his guardian in less than an hour, and yet he still had no idea what exactly he should give. Hitomi had told him that the guardian was easy to figure out. He just had to think of something that brought him happiness when he was sad. The stronger the emotion tied to the guardian, the more potent the potion would become. His guardian also had to be something he would truly miss.

Sighing, he let his mind ponder the sad events in his life. His puppy had been run over when he was four, but Van hardly remembered that incident at all. When he had lost the fencing championship three years ago, his father had taken him for pizza. Could Van give up pizza? Or maybe the memory of getting the pizza? Or maybe fencing was his guardian. He liked the sport, but it didn't make him deliriously happy. Joining the fencing team had been his father's dream anyway. Not his.

This was all so confusing.

Most definitely, the worst Van had ever felt was when Selena called off their relationship. But there hadn't been anything that made him feel better about it, right? He went straight to Hitomi once he heard about the potion and she told him she would help.

Hitomi…

Van thought suddenly, and his brisk walk came to a stumbling halt. _I've been with Hitomi this entire time. When she's around, I completely forget about Selena. I even forget that she is making a love potion for me. I feel so alive with her around._

The ebony-haired boy placed his palms over his eyes and pressed until there were stars winking back. _I've been the happiest with her ever since Selena left me. No, I've been even happier. Through her, I've met Dryden and Gadeth. I've got a purpose with life again. Even though both of her cousins are insane, they are good guys. Good friends. _

A vision of her simmering figure standing in front of him, Van shivered with the night air.

She saved me. She laughs with me. Listens to me. She's such a nice person to be around.

He breathed deeply, remembering her strawberry scent.

Seeing her fall to the floor with those wounds… wanting to kiss her… holding her in my arms… When did this happen? How could this happen? She's the only thing I want to see. I'm even fixing my hair before coming to her house. So, why is it? Why is it she's become the only thing I care about anymore?

Dropping his hands, Van's heart sank with realization.

"She's… my guardian…"

* * *

"Right on time!" Hitomi grinned in exhilaration as she opened the large wooden door of her house. The ebony haired boy blinked in surprise. Her beautiful face was filled with lovely joy.

How was it possible that she was even more attractive than this afternoon?

His heart clenched painfully and he nodded. Her grin faded slightly with his tense expression.

"Well, come on in." She called, turning away from the door. "I've got us set up on the porch. That way we can make a mess and not cause my mother to have a fit."

The ebony-haired boy stepped through the door and entered a glowing living room. Van hadn't been expecting it. His visions of magic were dark and mysterious. Running his eyes over the television, fluffy sofas, and matching carpet rugs, he realized that it was just like anyone else's sitting area. He smiled at the thought.

No,

Van chided himself, wiping the smile from his face. _I'm about to get rid of her forever. I don't deserve to be happy. I deserve to be hung from the rafters._

"Come on to the back!" He heard her ring from the other side of the living room. Walking swiftly, the ebony-haired boy straightened his back and raised his chin with resolve.

I have to pay for my mistakes. Selena is not worth the price, but it's what I've set myself up for. I am at least glad to have met Hitomi. I can keep that as a comforting thought.

Stepping through the open back door, Van let out a gasp. The cool air was perfectly circulating in the small oasis. An elaborate iron table stood in the middle of the backyard with a golden cauldron resting on it. The Bunsen burner sat on the corner with the plastic bowl from this morning next to it. English vines entangled themselves around the table's spokes and rested contentedly on the top of the table. Pots of flowers and strange plants lay all around backyard in an artistically display of gardening. Paper lanterns floated around the ceiling; however, he didn't see any string holding the lanterns up. They gave the area a glowing comfort.

Noticing a long, pointed magician's hat balancing on a nearby cactus, Van glanced around the area for the magician.

"Grab this, Hercules!" he heard her voice grunt from behind the table and he bent down to see her straining to lift the bronze cauldron he had seen her with the entire week.

Hurrying over, he grabbed the handles beside her hands and lifted. Her warm fingers brushed his and he felt his heart speed up radically. Biting his lip, he kept his eyes on her as they both placed the heavy pot on the table.

Her wind tossed hair was almost unbearable to not touch. She panted slightly through parted lips. His body ached to grab and kiss her.

"How are you feeling?" The question slipped right out of his mouth. He saw her look of puzzlement.

"The bruises from this afternoon," he clarified, turning slightly red.

"Oh," She put a hand on her right sleeve and pulled up to show a light green bruise. It looked about three weeks old.

"A little sore, but the angicata plant has kicked in." Seeing his perplexed expression, she let out a small chuckle, "Angicata is one of the basic healing herbs."

"I've never heard of it." Van said.

"That's because it was created and bred by my family. We use the leaves for tonics mostly, but for stronger wounds the stem's glucose makes a perfect poultice. Don't go talking about plants to my mother or you'll never leave the house. She's kind of a fanatic. You could say they are her guardian." Her smiling eyes traveled around the garden for a moment before resting on him. "Speaking of guardian, have you found yours yet?"

Van swallowed thickly and forced himself to nod.

"Wonderful!" She beamed at him. "I promise this won't take too long considering we have school and the dance tomorrow. You need to rest up for your big day, right?"

"I… I-I guess," He stuttered stupidly, hardly listening to her. The wind blew softly around her lovely form and caressed the silky strands of her short hair. Her excited green eyes glowed brightly in the lantern light. Looking closer, Van realized they were sparkling with the stars as well.

Helping to hold the heavy pot steady, he watched her scoop a large portion of the mahogany mixture into the golden cauldron and put the glittering pot on the Bunsen burner.

"We have to let it simmer and add the poppy, but we can proceed with the mixture we made today and start the incantation once that's done."

He nodded, feeling numb. He knew in his heart he didn't want this to happen. Would he take her powers again?

She turned from the table to pick a flower from a neighboring pot. The flower was a brilliant red with black center.

"My poppies," Hitomi explained as she held the flower to him. "This is a midnight poppy. They have to have certain fertilizer, sunlight, and only take salt water from the deep Pacific. Completely worth the effort, don't you think?"

Without letting him answer, she crushed the flower in her hands and added it to the golden pot. Van let out a noise of protest.

She gave him a sweet smile. "I'll give you one to hand to Selena after we are done."

"No, that's not it. I just didn't expect you to add it in. It deserves to live."

"It's the sacrifice ingredients have to make. Everyone has to pay a price for spells."

Van just swallowed. His throat had turned dry.

"Alright, do exactly as I say. Gently grab that bowl over there and pour it very slowly into the golden cauldron counter-clockwise."

Van did as he was instructed, a sense of helplessness coming over him. What could he do?

Hitomi watched him smiling, obviously not noticing his inner turmoil. "Now continue pouring, look into my eyes, and repeat after me: _Muse of her love, hear my call._"

With his eyes fully focused on her face, he cleared his throat to keep his voice from cracking. "Muse of her love, hear my call."

"_Convert the feelings I kneel before you."_

"Convert the feelings I kneel before you."

"_Inspect my heart and accept its worthiness."_

"Inspect…inspect…" Van couldn't do it. He couldn't look at her face and say these words. This was something that would tear them apart. His hand slipped on the plastic bowl as he tried to slide his eyes away from her concerned face.

His eyes would obey him. They continued to stare straight into her bright starlit orbs as if glued there.

"…Inspect my heart and accept its worthiness." He reluctantly replied.

"Are you okay?" She mouthed at him. The ebony-haired boy's stomach clenched with sadness.

He had to continue the spell. If he didn't, the power would be sucked away from her like last time. He didn't want to ever see that happen again!

"Go on," he mouthed back and gave her a brave smile.

With her forehead still crinkled with worry, she said soothingly, _"I shall be like her cherished possession."_

"I shall be like her cherished possession."

"_The guardian of my heart will bind her to me."_

"The guardian of my heart will bind her to me." He felt sick.

"Take my willing sacrifice of happiness."

"Take my willing sacrifice of happiness."

"Say what your guardian is," she commanded with a nod.

Van felt his jaw drop with horror; his body began to shake with confusion, fear, and sadness. He knew in his heart he had to say it. He had to do it.

He couldn't let her go. Selena met nothing to him compared to her.

She was everything.

She was his guardian.

_I can't let her go! _He shouted in his mind.

The magic immediately pressured him to say the words. A heat began to fill his heart, coaxing him to say her name. He clenched his free hand and fought back the burn, his resolve clear and strong. Opening his mouth against his will, Van threw down the plastic bowl in his hand and used both his hands to clamp his jaw shut. Her beautiful face had begun to pale slightly, but she still stared at him with eyes full of bewildering alarm.

_I will fight for her! I will fix this entire mistake of a potion! She is everything to me now! There is no way I can let her go!_

_How can I stand here with her and say her name out loud?_

The burning heat from the magic scorched his mind, raging angrily at his denial. Still, Van refused to budge.

_I won't do it! I can't let her go!_

Keeping his feverish eyes on his guardian, he knew his resolve would have to be stronger. Underneath her eyes was a hint of purple. The heat was beginning to overpower. Van breathed deeply and pushed back.

_I can't let her go!_

The rampant fire swirled inside him, but he blocked it ferociously. Falling to his knees, he let go of his jaw and covered his tortured mind with his arms. He forced his eyes to close. His whole body shook with the pressure.

Visions of her, him, both of them together swirled unmethodically in his mind. Seeing her sitting in the biology room, laughing with her cousins, witnessing her open Dryden's Pinto, watching her make the potion in her corner, fighting with her over the jar of honey, holding her in his arms, wanting to kiss her so badly it hurt…

"Van!" He heard Hitomi cry, but her voice sounded so far away. The battle was raging within him.

He felt her hands on the side of his face and he lowered his palms to look at her.

"Why are you doing this? Just say the guardian!" She cried, her dulling green eyes filling with tears. Her face was already paler.

_You're all that I want! You're all that I need! You're everything! I can't because you're everything! Everything!_

"Ever… every…" He whispered while the heat pulsated through his mind. His vision was wavering sickeningly.

"What are you saying?" She asked stroking his hot face with her cool hands. Tears had begun to slip down her soft cheeks. "Tell me, please!"

"Everything. You are everything. I can't say it… because you're everything to me."

Immediately, the fiery magic left his mind and he knew he had won the battle. Van gasped as a feverish sweat broke out. Feeling her hands still on the sides of his face, he sighed and let the coolness of her gentle fingers calm his body tenderly.

Though he had said it in whispers, Van knew she heard him. Her mouth opened with complete astonishment. Her hands stayed on his face as she leaned back. The wind stilled instantaneously around them, locking the two of them in this one moment. The silence stretched long as they both stared at each other.

"I… what if I…" He breathed to steady himself and reached up to brush her tears away. "What if I realized I don't want to give up my guardian?"

"How did… I don't understand," she whispered. Her eyes were full of uncertainty. "How did you not speak the name? The magic should have made you say it. This is impossible. I'm so sorry, Van. I don't know why it didn't work-"

Van couldn't take it anymore. Using the hand wiping her tears, the ebony-haired boy quickly moved the hand to the back of her head and pushed her towards him. Tilting his head, a thunder-clap resounded throughout his body as his lips connected perfectly with hers. He heard a muffled squeak come from her and then silence. Her hands left his face and trailed down to his shoulders. She grabbed his shirt with clenched fists as he lifted his other arm and wrapped it around her.

She pushed fiercely against him, breaking their lips apart.

"You have to give up the guardian, Van! It's the only way to make the potion!" She shouted at him, trying to wiggle free from his arms.

"I don't care about the stupid potion anymore! My guardian is mine!" Van hollered back, his hand stroking the back of her head as he indulged in her soft hair.

"It will make you! It will make you finish it! Magic cannot be broken!"

"I fought against it! I broke free!"

Her beautiful green eyes sparkled with confusion and disbelief. Her voice cracked. "You can't break free. It will make you."

"It was forcing me, but I refused."

"How could you break free? What about the guardian-"

Van let out an exasperated breath. "Don't you get it, Hitomi? You _are_ my guardian! You are everything! I refuse to give you up! Magic included! I won't let you go! I can't!"

Her expression turned blank. She blinked several times before-

"Oh, Van!"

He felt the surprising delight of her arms around his neck as she jumped into his body. Losing his balance, he yelped as he fell backward into the fluffy flowerbed soil with her. His mind instantly snapped back to reality as he felt her lips press on his once more. She kissed his mouth, nose, eye, and cheek, traveling back to his lips. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he kissed her back with all the fire he felt in his heart.

After a few minutes, they broke away smiling and panting. With a contented sigh, Hitomi shifted to lay her head on his chest. Van breathed in the welcoming strawberries.

"That was really brave of you to stop the spell." She said softly, closing her vibrant green eyes. "I hear it's near impossible."

Van snorted. "Yeah, no kidding. With no help from you."

He laughed as she smirked and hit his shoulder lazily. "I didn't know I would become your guardian. Besides, I promised a potion. To promise one is a binding contract to magic. I couldn't back out no matter how I felt about you or the situation. I decided to make the time I had with you filled with good memories. Knowing you were happy was enough for me."

"I wasn't going to be happy. I don't know how I could have been without you."

"And you fought for me, didn't you?" she whispered. A shiver ran down his back. Her lovely face was filled with a glowing pleasure. "You fought really hard."

"I would have fought harder," he answered back with a smile. "And I still would have won, too."

"So confident?" she grinned, lifting her head to look at his eyes.

He rose slightly and kissed her once more.

No magic could stop him. He was Hercules.

* * *

**It really is such a cute little story, if I may say so myself. I added quite a bit into it, fixed several grammar mistakes, and really put some heart into some scenes. But if you saw any mistakes at all, please, please, please let me know. I've been working with this story and using different names. If a name doesn't match, you'll know why.**

**Thanks for reading and if you liked it, it'd be nice if you told me. :)**

**Have a wonderful day filled with fluffy kittens and equally fluffy puppies. Because that was basically what I just posted. Total overpowering fluffage. **

**Laters,**

**blue...**


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